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In the 16th Century eating an artichoke would be a scandalous adventure for any woman. At that time, because the artichoke was considered an aphrodisiac, it was reserved for men only. In fact, the artichoke was denied to women and reserved for men because it was thought to enhance sexual power.

Fortunately such esoteric attitudes do not prevail in the 21st Century where both men and women are privy to the pleasures of the artichoke. However, there are places around the world where people have neither tasted nor seen the artichoke.

On first encounter, this globular green monster may be somewhat off-putting. Admittedly it does look somewhat inedible. Cookbook author Faye Levy aptly describes artichokes when she says, ". . . they might appear to be encased in armor. . .